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The field of rheumatic disease treatment has undergone a profound transformation, characterized by significant progress in research, precision medicine, and holistic patient care. Rheumatic diseases, a diverse group of conditions affecting the joints, muscles, bones, and connective tissues, have historically caused pain and disability for millions worldwide. Traditional treatment methods primarily centered on managing symptoms, relying heavily on medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids. While these approaches provided some relief, they often carried side effects and had limited long-term effectiveness. However, recent years have witnessed remarkable breakthroughs in our understanding and management of rheumatic diseases. Pioneering research has unveiled the complex immunological mechanisms at the core of these disorders, leading to the development of targeted therapies that specifically inhibit key molecules and pathways responsible for inflammation. Biologic medications, such as tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and interleukin-6 inhibitors, have completely transformed treatment paradigms by not only alleviating symptoms but also potentially altering the course of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Moreover, precision medicine has emerged as a central pillar of rheumatic disease management, creating personalized treatment strategies based on a patient’s unique genetic, molecular, and immunological profile. Genetic markers, such as the human leukocyte antigen gene, can identify individuals with a heightened risk of developing RA, allowing for proactive interventions that may prevent or mitigate the onset of the disease. Combination therapies, which combine different classes of medications, offer hope for patients who do not respond adequately to single-drug treatments. Beyond pharmaceutical interventions, holistic patient care encompasses lifestyle modifications, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and patient education, all aimed at improving overall well-being. Looking forward, ongoing research, innovation, and collaborative efforts among healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients are essential to sustain the trajectory of progress in rheumatic disease treatment. The future holds the potential for further breakthroughs, poised to reshape the lives and futures of individuals grappling with the complexities of these challenging health conditions, ushering in an era of renewed hope and an improved quality of life.

The rise of food delivery apps has ushered in a new era in the way we consume meals, bringing both unprecedented convenience and concerns about their impact on obesity. These digital platforms, exemplified by industry giants like Uber Eats and DoorDash, have transformed the dining experience from a trip to the kitchen to a simple click on our smartphones. While the seamless accessibility to a diverse range of culinary options is undoubtedly a game-changer, it comes with a flip side. The ease of ordering restaurant-quality meals, fast food, or groceries through these apps may contribute to less health-conscious dietary choices. The convenience factor might inadvertently lead to an overreliance on high-calorie and less nutritious options, potentially exacerbating the obesity epidemic. As we navigate this digital culinary landscape, it becomes imperative to understand and address the implications of this technological shift on public health. Research and awareness campaigns are vital to comprehending the nuanced relationship between food delivery apps and obesity, ensuring that the ease of a click does not translate into a surge in calories. Balancing the advantages of convenience with the potential risks to our health is paramount as we strive for a harmonious coexistence with these technological innovations.

Fu-Li Zhu,1,2 Ting Huang,3 Zi-Li Lv,4 Gang Liang,5 Zhen Yao,2 Lian-Cheng Lan,2 Abdul Qadir,2 Xiu-Qi Chen,2 Qing-Wen Shan2 1Department of Pediatrics, the First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang Central People’s Hospital, Yichang, Hubei, 443000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China; 3Guangxi Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genetic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Guangxi Academy of Fishery Science, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Qing-Wen Shan; Xiu-Qi Chen, Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China, Email shanqw333@163.com; chenxiuqi@gxmu.edu.cnPurpose: To investigate the intestinal inflammatory response and the abundance of intestinal bacteria in rats with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and assess the intervention effects of taurine (TAU).Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: group I, normal diet and normal saline gavage; group II, normal diet and TAU gavage; group III, HFD and normal saline gavage; group IV, HFD and TAU gavage (from the 1st week); group V, HFD and TAU gavage (from the 10th week). At the end of the 16th week, all the animals were sacrificed. Body weight, liver weight, liver function, and serum lipid levels were measured. The histopathologies of the liver and ileum were observed. The mRNA and protein expression levels of interleukin 17 (IL-17) and IL-10 in the ileum were detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry. Three types of bacteria were detected in intestinal feces using the 16S rDNA qPCR method.Results: The ileal IL-17 level in group III was significantly higher than those in the other four groups (P < 0.01). The ileal IL-10 mRNA levels in group IV was significantly higher than those in groups III and V (P < 0.05), and IL-10 protein MOD levels in group III was significantly lower than those in the other four groups (P < 0.01). The numbers of Lactobacillus in group III were significantly lower than those in the other four groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). The numbers of Bifidobacteria in groups IV and V were significantly increased compared with that in group III (P < 0.05).Conclusion: TAU may down-regulate the expression of IL-17, up-regulate the expression of IL-10 and regulate the intestinal flora, and alleviate the liver and intestinal damage in rats with HFD-induced NAFLD.Keywords: taurine, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, interleukin 17, interleukin 10, intestinal barrier, gut microbiota

Women in the reproductive age range are usually affected with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a complex and multifaceted condition. Anovulation, hyperandrogenism, and metabolic difficulties like hyperglycemia, hypertension, and obesity in women are all manifestations of this condition, which also affects the reproductive system. The National Institutes of Health in the 1990s, Rotterdam in 2003, and Androgen Excess Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in 2009 all contributed to the evolution of the diagnostic criteria for PCOS. The 2003 Rotterdam criteria are currently the most generally used criteria. They call for at least two of the three criteria – irregular menstrual periods, polycystic ovary morphology on imaging, and hyperandrogenism – either clinically or biochemically – to be present in order to diagnose PCOS. It is currently being suggested that the anti-Müllerian hormone in serum be used instead of follicular count as an official indicator of polycystic ovarian morphology/PCOS. Hyperandrogenism and irregular periods are essential components in determining PCOS in adolescent patients. More recently, it has been shown that artificial intelligence, especially machine learning, holds great promise for detecting and predicting PCOS with high accuracy, potentially assisting in early management and treatment decisions. Examining the underlying mechanisms, clinical symptoms, and challenges involved in making a diagnosis of PCOS in females is the premise of this review article.

Type 3 diabetes, though not an officially recognized term in the medical field, pertains to the potential correlation between insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Insulin, known for its role in regulating glucose levels, also plays a vital part in brain function, supporting cognition and memory consolidation. Emerging studies propose that insulin resistance, a characteristic of type 2 diabetes, may extend to the brain, affecting glucose metabolism and neural activity. Research indicates that individuals with AD demonstrate reduced insulin sensitivity in the brain, contributing to the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which are characteristic features of the disease. This has led some experts to propose the notion of “type 3 diabetes” to describe the association between insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s. Understanding type 3 diabetes carries substantial implications for both research and treatment. Exploring insulin-sensitizing medications and lifestyle interventions to enhance brain insulin sensitivity could offer potential avenues to address the metabolic and cognitive aspects of the condition. However, type 3 diabetes remains a complex and evolving field of study, and the precise mechanisms linking insulin resistance to Alzheimer’s necessitate further investigation. While the concept is captivating, it is crucial to acknowledge that AD is influenced by numerous factors, and type 3 diabetes represents only one aspect of the intricate relationship between these two conditions.

Abstract Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease responsible for dementia and other neuropsychiatric symptoms. In the present study, compounds 30 and 33, developed earlier in our laboratory as selective butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors, were tested against scopolamine‐induced amnesia to evaluate their pharmacodynamic effect. The efficacy of the compounds was determined by behavioral experiments using the Y‐maze and the Barnes maze and neurochemical testing. Both compounds reduced the effect of scopolamine treatment in the behavioral tasks at a dose of 20 mg/kg. The results of the neurochemical experiment indicated a reduction in cholinesterase activity in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. The levels of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase were restored compared to the scopolamine‐treated groups. The docking study on rat butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) indicated tight binding, with free energies of −9.66 and −10.23 kcal/mol for compounds 30 and 33, respectively. The two aromatic amide derivatives of 2‐phenyl‐2‐(phenylsulfonamido) acetic acid produced stable complexes with rat BChE in the molecular dynamics investigation.

Over the past two decades, self-regulation has captured the attention of researchers in language learning. It is an acknowledged fact that self-regulated learners' performance surpasses those who are not self-regulated. In an educational context, assessment is one of the major factors which increase or decrease the level of self-regulation. The present study explores the role of three types of assessment, namely self-assessment (SA), peer-assessment (PA), and teacher-assessment (TA), in English language learning of Pakistani learners and to find out the attitude of the learners toward the most suitable type of assessment for the development of self-regulated learning (SRL) features among learners. Following a quantitative approach, the data for the study were collected from a sample of 99 bachelor-level students through pre and post-tests and questionnaires. The data were analyzed through SPSS version 16.0. The authors found that the PA proved to be the most suitable for English language learning. The learners' perception also showed that they found the PA quite useful in fostering self-regulation. This study brings more enlightenment to the effective use of assessment techniques to improve learners' SRL abilities.

.Clitics are basically inter-modular elements which interrelate phonology, morphology, and syntax. These elements lack phonological independency and need a phonological independent host to be realized phonologically and finally their distributions follow aforementioned modules. Mukri Kurdish pronominal clitics which are highly mobile can have different functions such as agreement, object (direct or indirect), possession, etc. Thereby, different categories can be their hosts. This paper investigates the position of Mukri Kurdish pronominal clitics within Prosodic Phonology (Selkirk 1995, Truckenbrodt 1999 and Anderson 2005) and the prosodic hierarchy. This research has been carried out by descriptive-analytical and field methods. To collect the data the main author’s intuition as the native speaker of the dialect, (15) hours recorded speech, Mukri Kurdish sites and newspapers have been used. The analysis revealed that Mukri Kurdish pronominal clitics are placed systematically on the right edge of the first phonological phrase in their VPs. .

This research uses a quantitative approach and aims to explain the effectiveness of online learning through the model of assisting parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study used two variables, namely the parent assistance model as the independent variable and online learning activities as the dependent variable, with a total of 57 students from 250 high school levels in Probolinggo Regency, with a sample of each school ranging from 4 and 5 people, with the collection technique through distributing a Likert scale model questionnaire, this questionnaire was given to students to obtain valid data regarding parental assistance in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus the results of this study explain that the parental assistance model has a positive effect on online learning activities, this can be seen from the results of a simple linear regression analysis Y = a + bx (72.77 = 2.78 + 0.93 x 75). Therefore, if parental assistance is increased to a value of 75%, then the learning process for children will be 72.77%, from the R Square value, so that it can show the role and contribution of parents, namely 0.71%, thus online learning variables can be estimated by the variable parental assistance, while the remaining 29% is influenced by other factors not included in this study.

Dihydroquercetin (DHQ) is a pentahydroxyflavanone that has been used as an important suppliment against oxidative stress related inflammation and neuroinflammation. Neuroinflammation, which is the activation of the defense mechanism of the central nervous system, upon exposure to stimuli like amyloid β, Lewy bodies, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and reactive oxygen species. It is an important pathophysiological mediator of a number of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and others. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of DHQ, a potent antioxidant molecule, against LPS induced neuroinflammation. On the first day of the experiment (day-1), neuroinflammation was induced through intracerebroventricular injection of LPS (5 ​μg/5 μl) into each lateral ventricle in the rats. DHQ-0.5, 1 and 2 ​μg/kg was injected into the tail vein in respective groups from day-2 to day-10. Behavioral studies showed that DHQ attenuated the LPS-induced loss in long-term memory and working memory as evaluated by elevated plus maze and Y-maze test, respectively.Further, the biochemical estimations revealed that DHQ dose-dependently attenuated the LPS-induced decrease in acetylcholine level and increased in the acetylcholine-esterase activity in the hippocampal region. DHQ also increased the catalase activity and decreased nitric oxide and lipid peroxidation altered by LPS injection. DHQ also attenuated interleukin-6 in the brain, which has elevated upon LPS induction. The decrease in IL-6 is attributed to its antioxidant activity. Hence, DHQ could be a potential therapeutic candidate in the management of neuroinflammation and related neurodegenerative disorders.

This protocol serves as a guiding source for a Campbell registered systematic review aiming to assess the effectiveness of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in education in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). The primary question for this review is: What is known about the impact of PPPs on improving access (i.e., enrolment, attendance, drop-out, and completion) and quality (i.e., students' learning outcomes and teachers' teaching practices) of primary and secondary schooling in LMICs? Using a predefined search query, we will retrieve studies from various databases including Scopus, Campbell Library, EBSCO Education Research Complete, NBER, Dissertation and Theses Global (ProQuest), along with other sources of grey literature. Covidence will be used for screening and extraction. A bias assessment tool will be used for the included studies. A standardised mean difference (SMD) effect size of Hedges' g will be calculated for the outcome variables using RevMan.

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are areas controlled by specific legislations so as toattain economic prosperity. These zones are commonly established and controlled bygovernment officials and are primarily characterized by growing population and developingtransport infrastructure. One relevant case is the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone(PSEEZ) situated in the south of Iran, on the northern shores of the Persian Gulf. Thisparticular zone has been formed to extract, refine, and export gas. The coast of the PersianGulf has brought on further expansions in sea transportation, thereby increasing shippingactivities in the area. The chief mode of shipping goods and materials in the PSEEZ isMaritime transportation. Identification of areas where traffic is carried out requires thecollection of spatial data of ships. These spatial data are utilized in several applications formodeling of marine ecosystem. The central purpose of this research is to procure spatialdata required for the PSEEZ using optical remote sensing images. Thus, Landsat-8 andSentinel-2 images spanning from 2013 to 2018 were incorporated to identify ships in thestudy area. The threshold-based method was implemented for detecting the ships usinginfrared bands of 172 images, upon which a total of 3361 ships were identified. The map ofareas affected by ship traffic was prepared using Hot Spot analysis. The results specify thatmore than 80 square kilometers of the marine environment has been affected by ship trafficduring the years 2013- 2018.

The article deals with the problem of the influence of the Iraqi Kurdistan oil and gas industry on the relations of the Kurdish autonomy with the central authority of Iraq. The international aspects of extraction and transportation of hydrocarbons from the territory of the Kurdistan Region are also analyzed. The legal basis for the functioning of the oil and gas complex in the region, the main differences between Erbil and Baghdad regarding the powers of the Kurdish regional government in the field of exploitation of natural resources of the autonomy is represented. It has been established that the independent activity of the Iraqi Kurdistan authorities in the development of the oil and gas industry in its territory, the wide involvement of foreign investment provided autonomy a significant source of income, which became the financial backing of Erbil in his political disputes with Baghdad. At the same time, in the question of the transportation of hydrocarbon, the landlocked Iraqi Kurdistan was critically dependent on Turkey, which greatly limits its range of options in its relations with Ankara. Excessive dependence of the Iraqi Kurdistan economy on hydrocarbon exports is one of the strategic challenges for Kurdish autonomy, but significant positive developments in this area are possible only in the long-term perspective. Keywords: Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kurdish autonomy, Turkey, oil and gas industry.

You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down. --TONI MORRISON, SONG OF SOLOMON We--five queer and trans educator-scholars of color--arrived at this dialogue feeling [...]

Leadership competencies contribute to the ability of teachers to perform successfully and efficiently in the modern technology era. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between digital leadership competencies and teachers' performance. The study was correctional following the cross-sectional survey method. The sample of the study consisted of 273 social sciences teaching faculty members of Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad and Virtual University of Pakistan selected through a simple random sampling technique. The reliability of the instruments; digital leadership competencies and teachers' performance were confirmed by calculating Cronbach's Alpha score; 0.969 and 0.936 respectively. After ensuring ethical considerations from participants, the data were collected by administering the Six E-Competencies model of Roman et al., (2019) consisting of 18-items and Goodman and Svyantek (1999) Teachers' Performance (TP) scale comprised of 15-items mode of 7-points Likert responses. Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling [PLS-SEM] was computed to analyze the proposed hypotheses in this study while the measurement model and structural model were assessed. The findings of the study showed a significant correlation between digital leadership competencies and teachers' performance. The study helps to enhance the performance of university teachers through the support of digital leadership by using modern technology tools.